“Right Sizing” Your Office in a Post-COVID World

 



“As a manager of a technology team, I never supported the notion of working remotely.”

That, according to Richard Casamento, former global program manager for the Intel Corporation. “I assumed people were about half as productive when they weren’t here.”

Mr. Casamento isn’t alone in his sentiments. Prior to COVID, it was a challenge to get senior managers to embrace the idea that employees could be as, or more productive from home.

But as COVID has taught us, workplaces are constantly evolving spaces. Their design and build are influenced by the changing needs of businesses, productivity trends and yes, occasionally far-reaching pandemic type events from the outside world. In 2021, Successful office designs will reflect the new awareness in the industry, that virtual work is possible and can be managed effectively. Every company will agonize over the balance between remote employee productivity, the desire to save money on office space, and the intangible lifestyle, creativity, and productivity improvements that are possible when people are interacting face to face in a positive environment.

In the rethink of company environments post-2020, the focus must become the creation of productivity powerhouses rather than just a space to rest your computer. So, how will office design change in a post-COVID world? What will these spaces look like and how will they be used? Here are some insights into the different trends shaping the design and implementation of the post-COVID office from the experts at BE Builds.

Why We Still Need Offices

For many employees, working remotely from home comes with its own, significant challenges. There’s no space for a proper workstation or desk, there are less time and energy to focus on work because the hustle and bustle of family life are going on around you (especially if you have kids!), and chores can become a troublesome distraction from work tasks. Ironically, working from home can make it even more difficult to create that all-important work-life balance that we’re all after, as there is no escape from your environment, no change of scenery, and more limited interaction with coworkers. Studies have shown that prolonged working from home is directly linked to depression in many people1

Even the most advanced teaming technology we have is simply not powerful enough to substitute for physical, face-to-face interaction. That’s where the magic happens – it’s the catalyst for innovation, creativity, and engaged problem-solving. It’s how real relationships between employees are built and how people go from being coworkers to genuine friends. And of course, it remains the place where company resources and equipment are most easily available. For most industries, the company workplace needs to remain the primary focus of efforts to enhance employee productivity.

But we should not unlearn what COVID-19 has taught us. Our approach to office design and construction has to change, balancing the need for the energy and innovation of a shared space with the need for effective hygiene protocols and a more flexible working environment.

What to Consider When Choosing or Designing a Post-COVID Office Space

  • Design flexibility – Due to the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19, office design needs to be safe, but flexible too. Businesses want a space they can use for collaborative meetings and other essentials that can’t be achieved successfully while working remotely without safety concerns. The space needs to be able to reflect this, offering the ability to easily switch around furniture and structures to create workspaces that are socially distant and hygienic or to create collaborative spaces that are fun and conducive to worker discussion.
  • Custom solutions for your sector – The team at BE sees many different types of industries trying to reinvent their spaces for the new normal but priorities are highly dependent on what kind of business you’re in. Large healthcare clients are focused on changes to the layout and construction of their furniture. Copper-clad materials, hygienic surfaces, and of course barriers are changing the requirements for new build-outs. Others are adopting more subtle changes in layout and design that incorporate best practices for workplace efficiency and safety. BE partners closely with every company to balance their goals carefully while helping them choose from almost infinite options for exciting design within their budget.
  • Hygiene and safety – Regardless of whether your business is a traditional office space, a warehouse, a law firm, a clinic, or anything else, the health and wellness of staff while on-site is critical. This should be supported in every phase of your office design, from selecting the right size office to ensuring peak wellness can be achieved by installing acrylic barriers on workstations, air purification systems, body temperature scanners and more.

Looking for Office Construction Services in NJ? Let’s Get to Work

Redesigning your office space for a post-COVID world is complex, but can be rewarding and cost-effective when you have a good partner. At BE Builds, we’re dedicated to delivering exceptional office fit-outs on time and on budget. Whatever your office design challenges are, we’ll handle it all. Visit us at https://bebuilds.com/ for more information.

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/why-working-from-home-might-make-you-depressed-during-and-even-after-covid-19/

Originally posted at https://bebuilds.com/redesigning-your-office-in-post-covid-world/


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Ways You Can Boost Productivity With The Right Workplace Arrangement

Image
  For most employees, just like most businesses, success and growth are priorities. The productivity of employees feeds directly into big-picture business goals, creating a cycle that drives businesses to achieve more. Unfortunately, only 13% of the global workforce is actively engaged and satisfied with their workplace arrangement. Taking the time to invest in a workplace arrangement that supports this cycle is essential, improving job satisfaction, reducing turnover and burnout, boosting productivity, and most importantly, encouraging a  safe return to work during COVID-19 . Of course, developing your workplace environment is not a quick or inexpensive solution – but it is a critical one if you want to achieve these goals. Here are 5 ways to ensure this investment accomplishes real returns, from specialists in the design and fitment of contemporary office interiors. #1 – Make the Design Phase a Priority Many businesses upgrade to contemporary office furniture or swap out...
Read more

In Every Pandemic, There’s an Opportunity

Image
  If you were considering an office-buildout before the pandemic hit, having lived through it can only be considered a blessing. At BE Builds, we’ve seen our clients designing workspaces that are dramatically different than the ones they would’ve designed just 12 months ago. Of course, there are enhanced safety considerations, but the reality is that the pandemic has created a design aesthetic – and opportunity – that doesn’t show any signs of going away soon.  Health and Wellness Tech Re-opening in a post-COVID world means making health and wellness a focus of office design rather than a productivity-enhancing perk, and the tech industry has really risen to the occasion. From touchless control systems and sensors to air purification systems, contactless access control and germ-killing UV lights, these systems work behind-the-scenes to support the health requirements of a post-COVID workplace. And these enhancements are not just a temporary investment due to the pandemic –...
Read more

The Benefits Of Using Collaborative Office Furniture To Design Your Creative Space

A collaborative office space has been shown to improve colleague relationships, work-flow and overall productivity. When it comes to transforming an office space into a new-age collaborative set-up, the heart of it all will be the collaborative furniture that you choose.  Collaborative office furniture  needs to complement the design of the space and, most importantly, promote efficiency within the workplace. Using Collaborative Furniture to Build the Space Most will agree that the main consideration to keep in mind when creating a well-functioning office space lies in finding a steady balance between work areas and storage areas. While most traditional offices keep these two aspects of the business separate, most collaborative furniture will offer built in storage options in order to accommodate both. Another consideration to keep in mind is investing in the right sizes when it comes to collaborative workspace furniture. The sizes which you select should depend on the...
Read more